Tessa's Wedding

Tessa and Duffy finally tied the knot this past Saturday. The sealing at Timponogos was so wonderful - it was the first I've been to since my own. Tessie seemed so happy, as did Duffy (the happiest couple you've ever seen). The reception that evening went off without a hitch. The weather held up and it seemed that everyone loved the food and wanted to stay longer than usual... which is a tribute to the bride and groom!
All the plans turned out, the timeline (cake cutting, dancing, surprise song by Dean, etc) all went perfectly, and even the cake was delicious. I couldn't have asked for a better evening... a night like that makes the planning process so rewarding.
Heidi, Abby, Lacey and Ashton came and how fun it was to see them! I wish we could have visited longer. I have these pictures from Taryn's camera, and can't wait to see the professional photos and video. You'll see the personlized candy favors we made and also Taryn's yummy sugar cookie wedding cakes that were gifts for the wedding party.

Congratulations to the new Mr. and Mrs. Olson!

I have all this free time now - I guess I need a new bride!

Just the beginning...

If this past weekend was a sign of things to come, then bring on the fun! My mom drove down from Montana on Friday - she's here for two weeks. On Friday night, Ben and I joined Tessa and Duffy, Mom and Uncle Pat, and Ben's sister Meghan for the BYU v. Utah baseball game. We had a blast eating peanuts and giant otter pops as the Cougars played their last home game with a walk-off home run to beat the Utes. A terrific combination: family, food, a baseball game, and beating Utah. :) Here is a picture of us after the 7th inning stretch.
Then, on Saturday, my Aunt threw a shower for Tessa - and then it was off to the temple for her. It was wonderful to be there for such a special occasion. Here is a picture of the 'after' - mom, Tessa, Duffy, and moi.
On Sunday, Taryn and Mike finally rolled into town after 2.5 days of driving. I think that trip should qualify as "coast to coast", don't you Taryn? I was elated to see them and to officially welcome them to our place! Having them here for the next 6 weeks will be an absolute ball. We drove down to Orem to have dinner with Granny - and I decided to take advantage of so many helpers... we gathered around the dinner table to assemble the monogrammed candy bag favors for Tessa's reception. I was slightly embarrassed at my level of quality control (sorry Mike!) - I didn't think I was that much of a perfectionist. We had a great time around the table - and after a short time, we'd finished all 300 baggies!

Scholars banquet

The past week felt like a blur - not checking e-mail, not blogging, not chatting with friends... totally submerged.
Last night the Board of Regents hosted a banquet for all qualifying Utah Scholars seniors. For those of you who don't know, this is the initiative I've been working on for the past year. Usually I'm in the office or working with school officials and students, but this banquet gave me the chance to return to what I love - parties!

Working within a non-wedding budget, I had some constraints. I booked Culinary Crafts for the catering (after all, they are superb!) and decided that I would do the flowers myself instead of hiring a florist (that no one in the office would think is necessary, ala, "you need how much money for flowers??"). What I thought would be a few small centerpieces turned into 21 tables and more! I had a blast though and everything turned out wonderfully. Luckily nobody was too critical. Banquets are so much less stressful than weddings - and once the party started, there was nothing to worry about. The Commissioner of Higher Education spoke, along with an Assistant Secretary from the US Department of Education. How fabulous!

We got some great media coverage from KSL (open in internet explorer for video) and also the Deseret News. Click either to see/read. I'll have to post a few pictures that I took at the event.



















Tessa reminded me that there are 18 days left until her wedding - I'm excited! There are a few last-minute arrangements to be made, but unlike this banquet and Tessa's shower, I won't be the florist or the caterer, I'll be the boss!

Shower for Tessie

Two weekends ago I had the fun task of planning/hosting/catering a shower for my little sister. It was a last-minute party as we realized that finals were around the corner and all her friends would be gone soon.

With 5 days to go, I made some e-vites (see below), and got a hold of the best caterer I know, Taryn. She sent menus and other recipe ideas as the rsvps started coming in. Love her. Every evening after work, I'd pull more serving pieces and collaborate on the menu more with her.
I figured that waking up at 6 the morning of the shower would leave me plenty of time... not so. I was bossing Ben around the kitchen only minutes before I had to drive to Provo - "hurry, shred that chicken, and can you dice those grapes?"

The shower turned out great - after a stressful drive of all the platters in my teeny trunk and all the food in tupperwares. ahh! Event planning I can handle, but long-distance catering, making it not only look good but taste good? I'll leave that to the pros. Congrats, Tessa - only a few more weeks until you're a Mrs.

Here's a picture of the table - fun that I got to use some of my wedding gifts for the first time. The second pic of me and Tessa turned out a bit blurry.